Disney will no longer release aStar Warsmovie in December 2026, with the release date now moving toIce Age 6. 2026 is expected to be a big year forStar Wars, withThe Mandalorian and Grogubringing the franchise back to the big screen on May 22. Disney and Lucasfilm had also booked a December 2026 release date, widely assumed to be for Daisy Ridley’sNew Jedi Ordermovie, although few believed it would hit that date;Rey’s New Jedi Order movie recently lost screenwriter Steven Knight.
Disney’s latest press release includes an updated slate for 2026, andthe December 18, 2026Star Warsmovie has been replaced withIce Age 6. The news comes shortly after reports of behind-the-scenes drama at Lucasfilm, with claims that Daisy Ridley’s Rey was assigned to multiple projects and the future direction was uncertain. The canceled release date isn’t surprising, but it is still disappointing.
What The Canceled Release Date Means For Star Wars
Lucasfilm originally announced threeupcomingStar Warsmoviesat Star Wars Celebration 2023; plans have changed since then, though, with the announcement ofThe Mandalorian & Grogu.Jon Favreau’s movie is leadingStar Wars' return to the big screen in what feels like a high-stakes May 2026 release, going up against competition fromAvengers: Doomsday. Many had assumed release dates would be switched, withThe Mandalorian & Grogumoved to this December slot. Instead, the December 2026Star Warsrelease date has been reassigned to Pixar.
It must be noted that Lucasfilm never officially confirmed the December 2026 movie would feature Rey’s return; according toDeadline, “it wasn’t certain that one pertained to the continuing adventures of Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker.” The studio still has a release booked for June 29, 2025, and it would make more sense to relaunch the Jedi Order inA New Hope’s 50th anniversary year.The canceled date may actually have originally been assigned to James Mangold’s mysteriousDawn of the Jediproject.
Our Take On Lucasfilm’s Cancelation
It had seemed increasingly unlikely that Lucasfilm could indeed release a movie in December 2026; there just hadn’t been the kind of movement needed on anything other thanThe Mandalorian and Grogu. While this news isn’t a surprise, then, it is still frustrating; Lucasfilm desperately need to regain the fanbase’s trust. The real concern lies with the decision to stick with a May release for Favreau’s movie, which will face stiff competition fromAvengers: Doomsday.
Still, Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and the delightful Grogu have proved to be crowd-pleasers;The Mandalorianessentially became Disney+’s flagship TV show. With smart marketing, Lucasfilm should be able to pull it off. In the meantime, hopefully it won’t be long before there’s moreStar Warsmovie news, reflecting work progressing so the December 2027 date can be met.
